Sudan's War Escalates: Civilians in El Fasher Face a New Wave of Atrocities

El Fasher, one of the last strongholds held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the region, has been under relentless siege for months.

 

The humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan continues to intensify with chilling regularity, as recent reports confirm a renewed and deadly assault on civilian areas by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Just three days ago, RSF units launched a devastating multi-front attack on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and the nearby Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons. The offensive, marked by indiscriminate violence and heavy weaponry, resulted in the deaths of at least 40 civilians. These latest killings raise the confirmed civilian death toll in North Darfur to at least 542 in the last three weeks alone—a grim figure that is likely a significant undercount due to limited access and ongoing insecurity.

A City Under Siege

El Fasher, one of the last strongholds held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the region, has been under relentless siege for months. The city now faces what many fear could become a full-scale battle, with catastrophic implications for the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped inside. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that the population is surviving under starvation-like conditions, lacking adequate food, water, and medical supplies. The RSF’s ominous warning of impending “bloodshed” ahead of further clashes with SAF and its allied militias underscores the immediacy of the threat to life.

Families in Abu Shouk camp, already displaced by earlier conflicts, now find themselves once again in the crosshairs of violence. Reports from survivors describe heavy artillery shelling, house-to-house raids, and deliberate targeting of non-combatants, including women and children. The city’s healthcare infrastructure, already decimated by months of war, is on the brink of collapse.

War Crimes in Khartoum

The horror is not confined to Darfur. In Khartoum state, further atrocities are being documented. One particularly gruesome episode involves the extrajudicial execution of at least 30 men in the Al Salha neighborhood of southern Omdurman. These killings, captured in graphic videos circulating online, show armed men in RSF uniforms rounding up and executing civilians. In a chilling postscript, a known RSF field commander was seen in a follow-up video confirming the executions.

Equally disturbing are allegations against the Al Baraa Brigade, a group reportedly aligned with the SAF, which is accused of executing dozens of individuals in southern Khartoum who were suspected of collaborating with the RSF. These acts of reprisal, carried out without trial or due process, amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law. The deliberate killing of civilians or any person who is hors de combat (no longer participating in hostilities) is strictly prohibited and punishable under international law.

Global Silence and Local Devastation

The international community’s response to Sudan’s collapse remains tepid at best. While global attention fluctuates, millions of Sudanese people live in constant fear, their lives torn apart by the ceaseless cycle of violence. Over 8 million people have now been displaced since the conflict erupted in April 2023, making it the largest displacement crisis in the world today. Humanitarian organizations are overwhelmed, and access to those in need is increasingly perilous due to the presence of armed groups and the targeting of aid workers.

Calls for a ceasefire and peace talks have been repeatedly undermined by both sides’ refusal to genuinely engage. Despite international pressure, leaders of the RSF and SAF continue to prioritize military victory over the lives of civilians. Direct appeals to both factions, including personal alerts about the devastating human rights consequences, have thus far gone unheeded.

A Plea for Urgent Action

It is now imperative for all stakeholders—including regional powers, the African Union, the United Nations, and major international actors—to demand immediate cessation of hostilities and unfettered humanitarian access. Failure to act decisively will further entrench a conflict that has already cost thousands of lives and risks destabilizing the broader region.

The people of Sudan cannot endure much more. Their resilience has already been stretched to the breaking point. The escalating violence in El Fasher and the atrocities in Khartoum are not just tragic—they are unacceptable. The world must recognize them for what they are: systematic attacks on civilians that violate every tenet of human decency and international law.

The time to act is not tomorrow. It is now.